Editorial: City-county cooperation in Olympia bodes well for other border areas

AN AGREEMENT between Columbia and Richland County to work jointly to help ensure orderly growth in Olympia could bode well for other border communities as well.

As new development moved into the area over the years, Olympia residents understandably grew worried about the future of the mill villages and expressed a desire for help in preserving the character of their historic community, made up of the Olympia, Granby and Whaley neighborhoods as well as the south Assembly Street corridor. About half of the community is outside the city limits, which is why it is so critical for the governments to work together to ensure that it develops in a cohesive manner and that new growth is compatible.

Columbia and Richland will each contribute up to $75,000 to pay a consultant to develop a master plan. They also have applied jointly for state funds to pay for proposed transportation projects to south Assembly Street.

The area has risen as a planning priority for both the city and the county as it has seen an increase in commercial development, student housing and complaints from residents over land-use conflicts. There are also concerns about development in the floodplain, the expansion of the Vulcan Quarry and conservation-related issues surrounding Rocky Branch creek.

The master plan could include suggestions for certain kinds of development or neighborhood improvement projects such as streetscaping or parks.

Under the agreement, the city will oversee the selection of a consultant to develop a plan. A county representative will be a part of the selection process, and all payments from the joint account must be approved by the county. All data, maps, drafts and other documents will be the property of both governments. A master plan is expected to be completed 18 months to two years after a consultant is hired; each government will be responsible for paying to implement the plan within its own jurisdiction.

While Olympia might be the most immediate beneficiary of this city-county effort, the concept of the two governments working together should lead to further cooperation in other border areas crying out for a collaborative approach to zoning, planning and development. Wherever city and county lines meet — and there are far more places than there should be, thanks to doughnut-hole annexations and other bizarre configurations in the fast-growing suburbs of Northwest and Northeast — development is influenced by the separate rules of oft-competing philosophies.

Developing joint plans would overcome a history of poor communication that has created confusion and unintended consequences, placing orderly development at risk and forcing incompatible developments to coexist. Unfortunately, city and county officials have consistently refused to merge planning and zoning departments and planning commissions, the ideal solution to this problem.

The least the two can do is help make life better for those in border areas by working together to outline how land can be used rather than making independent decisions that create problems they struggle to resolve later.

This story was originally published April 25, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Editorial: City-county cooperation in Olympia bodes well for other border areas."